ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · spring · perch · bear · kid · wave · press · lean

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. spring — of water
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. lean — thin
  17. spring — the season
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com